Peace on Earth: Individual Will No Match for Mad Mobs

By Manoj Das

In the "60s, a communal riot shook a certain town. I was surprised, for it was a new settlement grown around a huge industry. The population was largely labourers and officials from all over India. There was no tradition of animosity between communities; they were united by a common existential necessity.

One winter evening, on a visit to the town, I asked my friends, "Where did so many violent people come from, all of a sudden?" There was silence. "They were absolutely indigenous", revealed one of them. Walking up to the window, he directed my attention to a young man running a roadside kiosk. "What'syour impression of him?" he asked me. "A nice lad. While buying a pair of batteries from him I found that I"d forgotten my purse. I decided to come back later, but he pressed the batteries into my hand, smiling. He assured me that I could pay later", I replied.

"Right. But on that fateful night I saw him chasing a child, catching him and preparing to hurl him into a burning house when he was prevented by some other guys of his own community", informed my friend. I was stunned. How right Euripedes was, I thought, when he said: The mob gets out of hand, runs wild, worse /Than raging fire, while the man who stands apart /Is called a coward".

I recounted an old tale to my friends: A young farmer, Raju, worked hard on his land. One evening, as he rested under a banyan tree beside his field after a day'shard labour, the royal herald rode by, announcing that the king had an unusual dream...whoever could explain it to his satisfaction will receive 100 gold coins. In his dream, the king saw a sneering jackal trying to jump onto his lap. While he was anxious to ward it off, his sleep terminated, leaving him awake with an uneasy feeling.

"If only I knew the answer..." murmured Raju to himself. "I"ll tell you, provided you promise to give me half of your reward", said a sweet voice. It was a beautiful little bird that had hopped down to a lower branch right above Raju'shead. An enthusiastic Raju immediately accepted the condition. "The throne symbolises the kingdom. The jackal symbolises treachery and selfish cunning dominating the atmosphere. Ask the king to be cautious", said the bird.

Raju met the king the next day and interpreted his dream. The king was satisfied and Raju was rewarded as promised. "What a pity that I have to part with half of the reward", thought Raju, walking back. He took a detour, avoiding the bird.

He invested the money prudently and grew rich. No longer was he required to go to his field. Five years passed. One evening the king'sgeneral galloped down to his house and called out: "Hurry up, His Majesty has had another intriguing dream. He saw a bloody dagger circling his head". "But I am no longer in the habit of interpreting dreams!" submitted a panicky Raju. "Hurry up or I carry only your skull!" shouted the general. Raju promised to meet the king the next day.

It was a moonlit night. As soon as he approached the banyan tree he heard the familiar sweet voice. "I know about the dream. Do you promise to give me half of the reward if I tell you its meaning?" asked the bird. Raju readily promised and the bird said that the dagger represented violence and that the atmosphere was stepped in it and the king should be on his guard. In the morning Raju explained the dream to the king'ssatisfaction and returned with a reward of 1,000 gold coins.

He was of course in no mood to oblige the bird. But what if the bird reported the matter to the king? He kept a stone handy in his grip and the moment they met, he hurled it at the bird. However, the bird escaped unhurt. Raju was sad. But he forgot all about it as years rolled by until five years later the general reappeared to lead him to the king. This time the king had dreamt of a delicate dove resting on his lap. Once again Raju sought time, went to the bird and, promising the bird its share, was told that the dove symbolised peace and the king could now move about freely. Raju'sexplanation satisfied the king who gave him 10,000 gold coins.

Raju made a beeline for the banyan tree and surrendered the entire amount to the bird. But the bird had no use for it and advised Raju to spend it on people'swelfare. "O kind bird, please tell me that you have pardoned me for my conduct in the past", pleaded a tearful Raju. "Your conduct?" asked the bird. "Where was your conduct? On the first occasion there was treachery in the atmosphere and you proved treacherous towards me. The second time there was violence in the air and you were violent towards me. Now there is trust in the atmosphere and you have acted accordingly. Few indeed are there who act as per their own inner will". If only each one of us could aspire to be one of those few - resulting in the few becoming many...

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See also: Peace of Mind, Peace on Earth, Life and Beyond, Love and Happiness, Body Mind and Soul)